


Another Year Gone, Another Year Gained

by BrennaCeDria



Series: The Hero, The Champion, The Revolutionary [17]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age II
Genre: Best Friends, Birthday, Birthday Party, Drabble, Gen, Matchmaking, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-18
Updated: 2012-06-18
Packaged: 2017-11-08 00:24:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/437075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrennaCeDria/pseuds/BrennaCeDria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt by seimaisin aka minorearth: "Bethany and any Awakening companion(s), birthday party"</p><p>All characters belong to Bioware; this drabble takes place in the WD continuity sometime after the end of DA2 Act 2, and about a month after Bethany’s assignment to Vigil’s Keep. Nathaniel hasn’t been named Commander of the Grey for Ferelden yet (this won’t happen in that head canon for probably two more years) and Anders and Velanna are the only two Awakening companions that aren’t still officially at the Keep, though everyone comes and goes on various assignments.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Year Gone, Another Year Gained

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seimaisin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seimaisin/gifts).



_I don’t understand why they bother_ , she thought to herself bitterly, one foot swinging as it hung off the edge of her bunk.

Sigrun had made certain to inform her upon return to the Keep that she was to be clean and ready for supper in “precisely an hour, Commander’s orders” but Bethany had no intention of being in anyone’s company tonight. She knew why they expected her presence, and knowing made today sting even worse. She knew they meant well, but what good was a birthday, when all it counted for anymore was one less year before she’d go mad and have to submit herself to the Deep Roads once more? What good was it when yours was meant to be shared, but the other half of your very self had been torn away so many years ago now?

Her hour was nearly up, and she was certain that the Commander would send someone after her soon when she didn’t make her required appearance in the main hall. In a rare, preemptive act of defiance, she kicked off her boots and burrowed under her rough blankets, robes and all, hoping that whoever did come looking would assume she was asleep and leave her alone. Perhaps she’d end up doubly lucky and would be able to actually fall asleep before they came after her, so she wouldn’t have to pretend…

_Everyone was gathered in Varric’s suite at the Hanged Man, just like usual. It couldn’t be more than a few hours after dark, but whatever they were celebrating, it was clear they’d been at it most of the day. Most everyone was at the main table, playing Diamondback or Wicked Grace, she couldn’t be certain which, but it struck Bethany suddenly that her sister was missing, as was Anders._

_The healer—another Grey Warden, she reminded herself, and she wondered not for the first time what sort of life she might lead if she ran away from the Order the way he had—appeared from the door to Varric’s private bedroom with a small, sad smile and rejoined the others at the table._

_“How’s she doing, Blondie?” Bethany heard the dwarf ask, and she guessed that her sister was already drank herself stupid for the evening. For all her worldliness, Ria never could hold her alcohol. Or maybe she could to a point, and just kept drinking passed that point anyway; Beth had never figured out which._

_“She’ll be fine; she’s just exhausted after this morning’s excursion. I tried to tell her we could do this another night, but she insisted.”_

_Varric played a few cards on the current hand then turned back to Anders. “Birthdays only come once a year, after all, Blondie. Even if Sunshine’s gone to the Grey Wardens now, if Hawke wants to throw a party for her sister, I’m going to help her throw a party for her sister on whatever day she tells me to.”_

“Hey, sleepyhead, wake up!”

Bethany startled awake at the command, groaning and burying her head under her blankets when she saw Sigrun’s impossible, never-ending grin greet her.

The dwarf patiently pried the blankets away and made a small tutting noise when she saw that Bethany was still wearing what she’d arrived in. Shaking her head, the dwarf picked the lock on Bethany’s footlocker and dug through it a moment for a suitable change of clothes for the Keep’s newest arrival. She selected a pair of soft doeskin breeches, a loose blouse, and corset, and passed them to her still-grumbling friend.

“Make sure to wash your face and brush your hair out too, Sunshine,” the dwarf girl ordered with a more mischievous grin than usual. “Another friend got back in from a mission just after you did, and he’s already downstairs. I’m _pretty_ sure you’ll want to meet this one.”

_How does everyone end up coming up with the same nickname for me? Especially these past few years?_

“Hel-lo! Sig to Beth!” The rogue mimed knocking on Bethany’s skull to get her attention. “Are you coming down to your own birthday party or not?”

“You know how I feel about birthdays anymore, Sigrun. Just one less year left.”

“Birthdays are always just one less year left,” the dwarf replied with an uncharacteristic sternness. “We’ve been given the gift of being able to count our birthdays as one more completed year killing the darkspawn and helping those who can’t help themselves in that respect.”

Beth smiled sadly at her friend. “Easy words from someone who’s already dead, you know.”

“Was it really so different for you, when your sister and Anders found Stroud and convinced him to put you through the Joining? You might have still been breathing, Beth, but you were dead. I know it’s a hard life to get used to, but your sister gave you a gift when she sent you away—possibly the best gift she ever could, even if she was just desperately flailing at the time. And I’d bet every sovereign I won from Oghren last night that she still marks today in some way or another, for both you and your brother.”

“I… suppose you may be right,” she admitted, remembering the dream she’d had in the brief moments that she’d dozed off. Smiling genuinely for perhaps the first time since her Joining, she stood to change her breeches and finally pull back on her boots. “Now then, what about this friend you want me to meet?”


End file.
